Reel support for harvesting machines



Oct. 31, 1939n T. N. PlERsoN 2,178,023

REEL SUPPORT FOR HARVESTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 19, 1937 '30 supporting posts and reel shaft bearing. provided with apertures 34 and 35. Fixed to the '30 Patented ot.31,1939 v i 2,178,023

UNITEDSTATE'S PATENT GFFiCE REEL SUPPORTv Fon HARvEsTING MACHINES i Y Torvald N. Pierson, Independence, M0., assigner to Gleaner Harvester Corporation, Independence, Mo., a corporation of Delaware l Application August 19, 1937, Serial No. 159,920 e claims. (c1. en -221) This invention relates yto areelsupport for Fixed to the lower portion of the cover plate harvesting machines, particularly those known as 'I are spaced brackets I3 and I4, each comprising combines, and has for its principal object to proy an attaching plate i having spaced ears I6 vide a rigid, light weight reel supportfthat is esfor pivotally connecting spaced, telescoping, post- 5 pecially adapted to small harvesters wherein like supportsI'I and I8. The posts II and I8 are 5 weight and rigidity of construction, as well as preferably formed of telescoping sections I9 and economy, are important factors. 29, of tubular material of such diameter that the Other important objects of the invention are sections E@ are snugly slidable over the sections I9. to provide a reel support wherewith the reel is The sections are provided with a series of aper- 10 readily adjusted according to the character of tures 2i and 22 respectively, wherethrough fas- 10 the crop being harvested; and to provide a suptening devices, such as cotter pins 23, are export wherein the reel is effectively supported entended through selected apertures to retain the tirely at one end thereof. sections in adjusted position. The lower sections In accomplishing these and other objects of I1 have apertured ears l24 that engage between the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, I have the ears on the brackets I4 and i5, and are piv- 115 provided improved details of structure, the preoted thereto by pivot pins or bolts 25, so that the ferred form of which is illustrated in the accomsupports are adapted to pivot to and from the panying drawing, wherein: v cover 'I incidental to adjustment of the reel as Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the harvester unit later described. of a combine equipped with areel support em- Welded or otherwise Secured to the upper sec- `=20 bodying the features of the present invention. tions 2G, as indicated at 26, is a horizontally po- Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the harvester sitioned tube 2l forming a tubular bearing for unit with the reel shaft and its bearing sleeve the shaft 28 of the reel 4, later described, the sho-wn in section. tube being of adequate length to support the reel Fig. 3 is a disassembled perspective view of the in overhanging relation to the sickle so that no 25 reel support. i other support is required. Fixed to the bearing Fig. 4 is a detail section through one of the tube 21, at points adjacent the posts, are yokebrace arm brackets of the support. shaped brackets 29 and 3E), having bar portions Fig. 5 is a detail section through one of the 3i-welded to the tube and having arms 32 and 33 Referring more in detail to the drawing: upward extensions 36 and 3'! of the harvester I designates the harvester unit of a combine pan frame, on the respective sides of the opening or similar machine and includes a grain pan 2, 9, are brace bars 39 and 4G, pivotally connected a sickle 3 attached to the forward edge of the pan, with the frame extensions by fastening devices,

a reel 4 for bringing the grain or other material such as bolts 4I extending through the flanges 135 to be harvested into engagement with the sickle, thereof. The opposite ends of the brace bars and a conveyor 5 for delivering the cut ygrain pass between the arms of the U-shaped brackets into the threshing unit E of the machine. 29 .and 39, and the flanges thereof have a series The delivery end of the conveyor pan 2 is enof apertures 42 and 43 through which fastening 40 closed by an arcuate cover I and an end wall 8 devices, such as cotter pins 4.4 and 55, are ex- 40 to form a feed chamber wherefrom the grain is tended to retain the post in functional position. fed through an opening -9 in the rear wall of the The bars 39 and 4B are preferably interconnected pan into the threshing cylinder. The opposite by cross braces 38 to enhance the rigidity thereend of the pan is closed by a wall ID, carrying of.

a forwardly projecting grain divider II that co- In order to increase the rigidity of the bearing 45 operates with a similar divider I2 at the side of tube, it is provided with braces 455 and 4l havthe cover 1 to guidingly support the grain or swath ing their upper ends Welded to the tube, as at while it is being moved by the reel into cutting 48, and to the lower ends of the upper section contact with the sickle, cf the supporting post I8, as best shown in Fig. 3.

The construction thus far described may be The reel 4 includes a shaft 28 of suitable diam- 50 of any conventional type as it specifically forms eter to freely rotate within the inner diameter no part of the present invention, with the excepof the bearing tube 2l, and carries spiders 5B and tion that the cover I and a portion of the frame 5I having sets of radially extending arms 52 and of the grain pan are utilized for carrying the 53 to mount the cross bars 54 of the reel, the

55 reel support, as now to be described. arms being radially braced by connecting bars 55, 55

as in conventional practice. The arms for the spider 5U extend substantially in the plane thereof, but the arms for the other spider diverge outwardly in the direction of the outer end of the sickle to better support cross bars having a length corresponding to the length of the sickle. The opposite end of the shaft projects from the bearing tube and carries a sprocket wheel 56 by which the reel is rotated through a flexible driving connection, such as a chain 51, driven from any suitable operating shaft on the machine. The spider 5B and hub of the sprocket wheel preferably engage the ends of the bearing tube so as to prevent lateral shifting of the reel.

In adjusting a reel constructed and assembled as described, for example, to raise the cross bars 54 thereof relatively to the sickle, the cotter pins 22 are removed and the upper sections of the supporting post, carrying the bearing tube and reel, are raised to the desired height, whereupon the cotter pins are reinserted through any one of the registering apertures in the respective post sections. The reel is then adjusted forwardly of the sickle by removing the cotter pins 44 and 45 and swinging the entire reel on the pivot connections of the brackets I3 and I4, whereupon the cotter pins are reinserted through the brackets 32 and 33 and through the closest apertures in the brace bars.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a reel mounting which is of rigid, light weight construction, and therefore especially adapted to small harvesters 'wherein weight and rigidity of construction, as well as economy, are important factors, both in the successful manufacture and use of the machine. It is also obvious that the reel is readily positioned to give the desired sweep across the sickle according to the character of the crop being harvested, that is, it may be set forwardly of and at any desired elevation above the sickle to provide the best operating conditions.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a harvester having a grain pan and an arcuate cover at one end of the grain pan, a reel support including a shaft, a bearing tube rotatably mounting one end of the shaft, spaced supports connected with the ends of the bearing, means pivotally connecting the supports with the cover for movement on a fixed axis, and brace means connected with the supports and with the cover for retaining the supports in a selected pivotal position.

2. In a harvester including a grain pan, a cover at one end of the grain pan, a reel, means supporting the reel including a shaft, a bearing rotatably mounting one end of the shaft, telescoping bearing supports adapted for carrying the shaft at selected elevations, means pivoting the bearing supports to the cover for movement on a fixed axis, and brace means retaining the bearing supports in a selected pivotal position relative to said cover.

3. In a harvester, a reel, a shaft connected with the reel, a bearing tube rotatably mounting the shaft, tubular supporting sections fixed to the bearing tube and having a plurality of openings, rod sections slidable in the tubular sections and having openings adapted to selectively register with the openings in the tubular sections, fastening devices extending through selected openings, means pivotally connecting the rod sections on the harvester, brackets xed to the bearing tube, brace arms having a series of openings extending therethrough, fastening devices extending through selected openings for connecting the brace arms with the bearing tube, and means pivotally connecting the brace arms with the harvester.

4. In a harvester having a grain pan and a feed chamber at one end of the pan, a reel support including spaced posts, means pivotally supporting the lower ends of the posts on a portion of the feed chamber at the front of the pan, a shaft bearing member carried by the upper ends of the posts, a reel shaft rotatably mounted in said bearing member, brace arms pivotally connected with an upper portion of the feed chamber, and means adjustably connecting said brace arms relatively with the upper ends of the posts for selectively varying position of a reel carried by said shaft.

5. In a harvester having a grain pan and a cover at one end of the pan, brackets having fixed relation with the lower portion of said cover, posts having lower ends pivotally connected with said brackets, a tube connecting upper ends of the posts, brackets fixed to the tube, brace arms having rear ends fixed relatively to an upper portion of said cover and having forward ends adjustably connected with said tube brackets, and a reel shaft rotatable in the tube.

6. In a harvester having a grain pan and a feed chamber at one end of the pan, a reel support including a tube, spaced tubular members xed to the tube, yoke-shaped brackets fixed to the tube, brace arms adjustably connected with said yoke-shaped brackets, means pivotally connecting the brace arms to an upper portion of the feed chamber to form a vertically adjustable unit arranged to swing on said pivotal connecting means, spaced rods having slidable engagement in said tubular members, means pivotally connecting the lower ends of the spaced rods to a lower portion of the feed chamber, and means securing said tubular members to the rods for anchoring said unit in a vertically adjusted position.

TORVALD N. PIERSON. 

